Interntional drug ring led by death row convict

Convicted Indonesian drug lord Freddy Budiman (second from left).

JAKARTA - The National Police have uncovered an international drug ring in Jakarta that is allegedly led by death row drug convict Freddy Budiman.

National Police detective division chief Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso said that 11 men associated with Freddy, who is awaiting execution on the Nusakambangan prison island in Central Java, were arrested at three locations in Jakarta last Tuesday on narcotics charges for drugs produced in the Netherlands and trafficked through Germany.

"We have been following Freddy and his colleagues for the past two months, with help from the National Narcotics Agency and the customs and excise directorate general at the Finance Ministry," he said in Cengkareng, West Jakarta.

Budi said that Freddy and his colleagues had ordered 50,000 ecstasy pills and CC4, a new type of ecstasy, from the Netherlands, and sold them at the Cipinang Prison in East Jakarta disguised as Dutch food.

"We estimate that by arresting these men we have saved around 1.5 million people from consuming the drugs," he said.

The 11 men may face a death sentence or life imprisonment if found guilty of violating articles 114 and 132 of the 2009 Narcotics Law.

Freddy was previously sentenced to death in 2013 for importing ecstasy after police officers conducted a raid on a truck containing 1.4 million ecstasy pills in Cengkareng, West Jakarta.